Prince William visits housing project, puts his estate to work for communities

* Prince William visits Duchy of Cornwall estate

* Sale of part ​of the ⁠estate intended to help communities

* Plan involves ​building affordable homes there

NANSLEDAN, England, May 21 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William visited a housing project in southwest England on Thursday to check ​progress ‌on a scheme he hopes will help end homelessness, days after it was announced he plans to sell off part ⁠of his historic estate to build more homes.

William, 43, ⁠is widely known for his work ​on tackling climate change, an environmental purpose he shares with his father King Charles, but also champions fighting homelessness and addressing mental health issues.

He plans to put to work some of the Duchy of Cornwall, his vast ​inherited estate, ‌to benefit people living there by investing in affordable homes and environmental projects.

The issue of homelessness has been close to his heart since his mother, the late Princess Diana, took him to visit a shelter for people living on the streets when he was 11, four years before her death ​in a car crash. It is an area where, as future king, he believes he can make ‌a difference.

"I think it's safe to say that change is on my agenda," he said in an interview broadcast on Apple TV+ last ‌year, when asked about his approach to the monarchy.

In planning to raise £500 million ($670 million) for community projects such as affordable homes by selling off 20% of the Duchy of Cornwall estate, William is signposting how ​that change might look.

The Duchy has been owned by heirs to the throne since medieval times and is one of Britain's ‌biggest landowners. Last year, it paid William a private income of over £20 million.

William spent Thursday visiting part of the estate, which is developing Nansledan, a suburb with many affordable homes and new purpose-built accommodation to ⁠address homelessness.

He ⁠and Charles have been criticised over how their estates have been managed, ‌with rents charged to Britain's health service, army and schools. William's focus on homelessness has also faced a backlash, given his ​extensive property portfolio.

But Abdoulaziz ​Lelo Ndambi, who was once homeless before being helped by a charity ‌backed by William, rejected that criticism.

"His support has been a lot," he said. "And the biggest thing he's doing is creating his own way of supporting further." ($1 = 0.7467 pounds) (Reporting by Sarah Young, additional reporting by Sarah Mills and Hannah McKay, editing by Michael Holden and Timothy Heritage)